Tilting latch



g 1966 w. T. APPLEBERRY 3,268,253

TILTING LATCH Filed Jan. 51,' 1964 I NVE N TOR. W Uiz 47/55522 BY 02;, 2 2m A ve/vs/ United States Patent 3,268,253 TILTING LATH Walter T. Appleberry, Long Beach, Calif., assignor to Douglas Aircraft Company, Inc, Santa Monica, Calif. Filed Jan. 31, 1964, Ser. No. 341,665 2 Claims. (Cl. 292128) This invention relates to latches and to tiltable latches of a general purpose type.

Ordinary latches known heretofore and used in connection with drawers, compartment and cabinet doors, and other types of closures generally utilize lever structures with special appendages and bosses for holding springs which bias the latches to a closed or latched position. Such latches require substantial amounts of space for their installation and are relatively expensive to produce because of their irregular shapes. A latch which was of very simple shape, compact, easily operable and economical to produce would have great utility, especially inasmuch as latches are used in great quantities and even small savings are important.

This invention provides a simple, compact, easily operable and economically producible latch of a general purpose type. It includes a generally straight catch assembly adapted to project through a simple hole in a cover or other structure to which the latch is mounted, the projecting portion being adapted to fasten onto a handle located on the side of the cover opposite the catch. A coil spring is generally provided, which is disposed about the catch assembly in a compresed state and which has one end pressing against the cover. By pushing in a sideward direction on the handle, the catch assembly is easily tipped so as to disengage the catch from a strike or keeper. The coil spring restores the catch assembly to a generally straight position, no matter in what direction the latch is tipped, and the latch is thus operated in a smooth and simple manner. The catch assembly is of such a simple shape, generally being symmetrical in cross section, that it may be produced on a screw machine or the like in an economical manner, and presents a simple, clean appearance without projections which are likely to break, fracture or wear with use. The latch re quires no pivot pins and is not only economical to manufacture but also quickly and easily installed.

The operation of the latch of this invention is aided considerably through the incorporation of several important features therein. When latches of the described type are mounted in a cover of substantial thickness, the shaft portion of the catch assembly which extends through the cover must be substantially smaller than the hole in the cover through which it passes; otherwise, the latch could not be tilted because the shaft portion would bind and be held by the walls of the hole through which is projects. If, however, a shaft is used which is much smaller than the hole through which it passes, there is a possibility that the handle and catch assembly would shift or slide laterally without tipping so that the catch would disengage from a keeper accidentally. According to one aspect of the present invention these difiiculties are eliminate-d by providing a tapered shaft which extends through a hole in the cover. The latch is adapted to pivot on the wide portion of the taper, and the narrow part of the taper is small enough to allow sufiicient tilting of the latch to disengage the catch from a keeper.

Another d-ifiiculty which is likely to be encountered with a latch of the type described herein is that the spring which surrounds the catch assembly and which presses against the cover is likely to shift so that its end hecomes caught in the clearance or space between the shaft portion extending through the hole in the cover and the walls of the hole. In accordance with another \aspect of the present invention, this difiiculty is eliminated by providing a washer between the spring and the cover. The washer may be of a low friction material such as a plastic so that it easily slides as the latch is tilted, to provide much less friction than would exist if merely the end of a spring were to slide across the cover, thereby assuring smoother operation of the latch.

In many embodiments of the latch, the handle which is tripped to disengage the catch may be held securely enough to open the cover. The cover may be unlatched and swung or slid open with one simple motion of the operators hand and without the necessity for pressing a separate lever or button as is required with many types of latches used heretofore.

Various embodiments of the invention include the fastening of the catch assembly to the handle with a screw-like fastener to enable adjustment of the catch length, the incorporation of a nut-like periphery on the catch assembly to enable it to be easily turned, the employment of a bail type handle to enable the application of large forces to the cover or other member to which the latch is attached, and other features.

Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide a latch which is compact, of simple shape, easily operable, and economical to produce.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a latch which is operable by merely tipping the handle thereof. 7

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a latch having a rodlike compact catch assembly wherein the spring means for operating the latch is a coil spring disposed about the catch assembly, thereby providing a latch of an extremely simple and compact nature.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a latch adapted for attachment to a cover or the like which enables the disengagement of the catch and the opening of the cover by sliding or swinging, to be accomplished with a single movement of the operators hand.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a simple tiltable latch adapted for mounting in a thick-wall cove-r, wherein the catch assembly is not likely to become accidentally disengaged from its keeper.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a simple tiltable latch which utilizes a coil spring disposed around :a catch assembly, wherein the ends of the coil spring are prevented from being caught in holes in the cover or sliding directly against the cover surface, thereby assuring the smooth operation of the latch without binding.

These and other objects of the present invention and a more complete understanding thereof may be had by reference to the following description and claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a partially sectional view of a tiltable latch constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view, partially sectional, of another embodiment; of a tiltable latch constructed in accordance with the present invention.

With reference to the drawings and more particularly FIG. 1, one embodiment of the present invention comprises a latch '10 adapted for mounting on a cover morn ber such as a cover 12 of a cabinet 14 or the like and positioned for operable engagement with a keeper assembly 16 which is mounted on the cabinet 14. The latch 10 comprises a catch assembly 18 which has a portion extending through a hole 20 in the cover 12 and which is fastened to a handle 22 disposed on the opposite side of the cover. In order to operate the latch a hook portion 24 of the handle is pulled so that the entire latch assembly tips relative to the cover '12, thereby causing the disengagement of the catch assembly 18 from the keeper assembly 16, and enabling the cover 12 to be swung open.

The catch assembly 18 is integral and comprises a catch 26 formed at one end thereof having a truncated conical shape for enabling it to be deflected downwardly when the cabinet is being closed and the catch first hits the keeper 16. Another catch portion forming a small diameter shaft portion 28 extends from the catch 26 and provides a hollowed space for receiving the keeper 16 when the cover 12 is closed. A spring holding portion 30 having a washer-like shape is formed at one end of the small diameter shaft portion, and serves to hold one end of a helical coil spring 32. The spring 32 is a separate part which is disposed over a spring-surrounded shaft portion 34 of the catch assembly and held in a compressed tate. One part 35 of the shaft portion 34 extends through the cabinet cover 12. This part 35 is tapered so that it cannot shift much in the cabinet hole 20, and yet the latch may easily be tipped without the part 35 binding against the walls of the cover hole 20'.

The end of the catch assembly opposite the catch 26 is formed as a threaded stud 36 to enable its fastening to a threaded hole 38 formed in the handle 22. The use of threads enables the adjustment of the distance between the catch 26 and the cover 12. This allows for the adjustment of seal pressure of any peripheral seal between the cover 12 and cabinet 14 and assures that the cover-Will close easily. The use of threads also enables the facile compression of the spring 32 in the installation of the latch. The entire catch assembly 18 is symmetrical and is generally composed of surfaces of revolution to enable it to be manufactured as a single piece on a screw machine or the like. One part, the spring holding portion 30 is provided with several flat circumferential portion to enable it to be grasped by a wrench in turning the catch assembly when fastening the threaded portion 36 to the handle 22.

The latch is kept in a position where it is generally perpendicular to the cover 12 by the helical spring 32 which is disposed about the shaft portion 34 in a compressed state. One end of the spring 32 abuts the spring holding portion 30 of the catch assembly and the other end portion of the spring abuts a washer 40 of nylon or other plastic which is held against the cover 12.

The keeper assembly 16 comprises an L-shaped bracket mounted onto the cabinet 14 by an ordinary bolt and nut combination 42. The smallest diameter of the truncated cone catch 26 is small enough to clear the keeper 16, so that the side of the cone shape hit the keeper first and cause the smooth tilting of the latch until the catch is behind the keeper.

The catch is released by the application of a pulling force on the hook 24 of the handle. Such a force causes the tipping of the catch assembly 18 and the disengagement of the widest portion of the catch 26 from the keeper 16. Further pulling force on the hook 24 causes the swinging open of the cover 12. To close the cover 12 and re-eng age the latch, the cover 12 is merely swung to a closed position. When the catch 26 strikes the keeper 16 as the cover is being closed the catch 26 is deflected away from the keeper and causes the tilting of the catch assembly 18. After the catch 26 has been pushed in far enough that the keeper 16 is above the small diameter shaft portion 28, the catch assembly springs back to a position wherein the catch 26 is engaged by the keeper 16.

' The compressed spring 32 serves to always bias the catch assembly toward a position perpendicular to the cover 12. Only when the hook portion 24 of the handle 22 is pulled to tip the latch, or the keeper 16 pushes against the catch 26, does the catch assembly tip. Whichever direction the catch assembly tips, the spring portion on that side which is being tipped is compressed and tends to spring back the catch assembly to its normal perpendicular position. The spring 32 has a free length which is substantially longer than its installed length and has a large enough spring constant that normal pulling forces exerted on the handle 22 to tip the latch and open the cover 12 are insufiicient to significantly shorten the spring 32. Thus when the latch is tipped and the cover pulled, generally only one side of the spring is substantially compressed and the catch always tips and disengages from the keeper 16 instead of being pulled harder into the keeper 16.

The washer 40 is provided for :two purposes. First to prevent the end of the spring 32 nearest the cover 12 from being caught in the space between the shaft portion 34 and the cover 12 and, secondly, to enable the spring to move up and down by moving as the washer slides to assure the smooth operation of the latch. The washer 40 has an inside diameter which enables it to just fit over the largest diameter of the shaft portion 34. Thus the inner diameter of the washer 40 is smaller than the diameter of the hole 20 in the cover, the hole being subst-antially larger than the diameter of the shaft portion 34 to provide for manufacturing tolerances and clearance. Thus, the spring end is less likely to catch in the hole of the washer 40 than to catch between the shaft portion 34 and the walls of the hole 20 if no Washer were provided. Furthermore if a free end portion of the spring were to be caught between the washer 40 and the shaft portion 34 very little binding would result because the washer moves with the shaft; conversely, if a spring end were to be caught between the shaft portion 34 and the walls of the hole 20, that spring end would tend to be crushed as the latch were tipped and thus would prevent the smooth operation and tipping of the latch. The washer 40 also enhances the smooth operation of the latch because it provides a smooth surface for movement of the end of the spring as the latch is tipped. Without a washer 40 the end of the spring would have to slide against the cover 12 which may be of a rough material. In order to enable simple manufacture of the latch assembly and to enable simple sliding of the parts against the washer 40, the washer 40 is generally constructed of a plastic material such as Teflon, a trademark of the Du Pont Company, Inc, of Delaware, for polytetrafiuoroethylene compositions, or nylon.

The mounting of the latch is usually most conveniently done by projecting it through a hole in a cover, door, drawer front or the like, or on a bracket attached to a cover. However, it may be mounted on an enclosure such as a cabinet, whereby the keeper for the latch is mounted on the cover. Any of the members associated with the cover may be considered as cover members upon which the latch may be mounted.

In many applications considenable force must be applied to the cover 12 in order to pull it open after the catch assembly has been disengaged from its keeper. For example the cover 12 may be the front of a drawer loaded with heavy equipment, or the cover 12 may be a large heavy door which must be slid across an enclosure. A second embodiment of the latch, shown in FIG. 2, enables the application of large forces to the handle of the latch assembly.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 2 includes a bail type handle 50 fastened to two catch assemblies 52 and 54 which are adapted to engage a long keeper bar 56 attached to a cabinet or the like by bolts 58. In other respects the catch assmeblies are almost identical to the catch assembly 18 shown in FIGURE 1. The U-shaped or bail type handle 59 of the second embodiment enables the tiltable latch to be used in installations wherein large forces must be used to open the cover of an enclosure. The hand of an operator of the latch easily fits around the bail type handle and he can obtain a firm grip on the handle to apply large forces. Accordingly, if the cover 64 to which the latch assembly is attached is opened by tilting the latch and then pulling, the unlatching and pulling operation can be conducted with a single wrist and arm motion by the operator instead of requiring him to press a button or lever and then pull with his entire hand as is generally required for other types of latches. Additionally, the only article to be grasped by an operator is the large U- shaped handle 50 and this can be done rapidly under conditions of poor lighting or when the operator is wearing heavy gloves.

Although particular embodiments of the invention have been shown hereinbefore, obviously, many modifications and variations may be made therein. For example, although an integral catch assembly is shown, obviously, it may be constructed of several different parts which are held together, or the handle and catch assembly could be made as a single unit which is installed in a large hole in a panel, holding means such as retaining rings being applied after installation of the entire latch to hold it in place. Numerous other variations and modifications will appear to those skilled in the mechanical arts and especially to those experienced in the design and construction of latches and similar articles. Accordingly, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments shown and described herein, but rather encompasses the full scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A tiltable latch comprising:

a catch assembly;

a cone-shaped catch formed at one end of said catch assembly;

a keeper receiver portion of smaller cross sectional width than the widest part of siad cone-shaped catch, formed on said catch assembly and extending from the wide end of said cone-shaped catch;

a washer-like protuberance formed on said catch assembly at an end of said keeper receiver portion opposite said cone-shaped catch;

a spring holding shaft portion having a cross section smaller than said washer-like protuberance formed on said catch assembly and extending from said Washer-like protuberance;

a tapered shaft portion formed on said spring holding shaft portion at an end thereof opposite said washerli'ke protuberance;

fastening means formed on said latch assembly on a portion thereof adjacent said tapered shaft portion for enabling the fastening of said catch assembly to a handle;

a handle fastened to said fastening means of said catch assembly; and

a coil spring adapted for disposition about said spring holding shaft portion so that one end of said spring abuts said washer-like protuberance.

2. A tiltable latch as defined in claim .1 wherein:

said fastening means includes a threaded portion; and

said washer-like protuberance has a circumferential portion including a plurality of flat surfaces forming a nut-like Washer for enabling the facile turning of said catch assembly to fasten it to said handle.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 46,697 3/ 1865 Plumer 29212 8 849,207 4/ 1907 Cox 292128 1,198,862 9/ 1916 McCormack 29267 2,087,001 7/ 1937 Johnson. 2,341,308 2/ 1944 Berry 29=2120 2,670,981 3/1954 Wenham 292-104 3,003,800 10/ 1961 Hammond 292-31 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,066,451 10/1959 Germany.

35 EDWARD c. ALLEN, Primary Examiner.

JOSEPH D. SEERS, Examiner.

J. R. MOSES, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A TILTABLE LATCH COMPRISING: A CATCH ASSEMBLY; A CONE-SHAPED CATCH FORMED AT ONE END OF SAID CATCH ASSEMBLY; A KEEPER RECEIVER PORTION OF SMALLER CROSS SECTIONAL WIDTH THAN THE WIDEST PART OF SAID CONE-SHAPED CATCH, FORMED ON SAID CATCH ASSEMBLY AND EXTENDING FROM THE WIDE END OF SAID CONE-SHAPED CATCH; A WASHER-LIKE PROTUBERANCE FORMED ON SAID CATCH ASSEMBLY AT AN END OF SAID KEEPER RECEIVER PORTION OPPOSITE SAID CONE-SHAPED CATCH; A SPRING HOLDING SHAFT PORTION HAVING A CROSS SECTION SMALLER THAN SAID WASHER-LIKE PROTUBERANCE FORMED ON SAID CATCH ASSEMBLY AND EXTENDING FROM SAID WASHER-LIKE PROTUBERANCE; A TAPERED SHAFT PORTION FORMED ON SAID SPRING HOLDING SHAFT PORTION AT AN END THEREOF OPPOSITE SAID WASHERLIKE PROTUBERANCE; FASTENING MEANS FORMED ON SAID LATCH ASSEMBLY ON A PORTION THEREOF ADJACENT SAID TAPERED SHAFT PORTION FOR ENABLING THE FASTENING OF SAID CATCH ASSEMBLY TO A HANDLE; A HANDLE FASTENED TO SAID FASTENING MEANS OF SAID CATCH ASSEMBLY; AND A COIL SPRING ADAPTED FOR DISPOSITION ABOUT SAID SPRING HOLDING SHAFT PORTION SO THAT ONE END OF SAID SPRING ABUTS SAID WASHER-LIKE PROTUBERANCE. 